30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge For Serious Self-Improvement

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Last Updated on February 20, 2024

Looking for a 30 day mental wellness challenge to revitalize your mental health for improved mood, clearer thinking, and less stress and anxiety? Get ready for a mental refresh!

Are you ready to get your mental health in check this year? You might know the importance of caring for your mental health, but truly prioritizing it and making time in your schedule to work on it can be a different story. I get that! That’s why I put together this 30 day mental wellness challenge to help you get on track with boosting your mood and mental wellness.

The goal of the mental wellness challenge is simple: one small self-care/mental health related activity a day for 30 days, with the intent to see improvements in your overall frame of mind at the end!

With just a little dedication and self-discipline, you’ll find that prioritizing your mental health on a daily basis is perfectly possible. And you don’t have to be extreme, you just have to be consistent.

So if you’re ready to level up your mental health, improve your emotional stability, and just feel BETTER… let’s dive right into the 30 day mental wellness challenge!

Table of Contents

This post is all about the 30 day mental wellness challenge to improve mental health.

Why do a 30 day mental health challenge?

By bringing mental wellness to the forefront of your mind for 30 days, you’re very likely to see improvements in your overall mental health.

Ask yourself this: in the last 30 days, how often did you prioritize your self care by doing activities specifically to improve your mental health? Was it really every day? Just here and there? Maybe not as often as you wished?

We’re all in different places with our mental health journey, but chances are you haven’t had the time, know-how, or intention to work on mental wellness everyday. And it’s totally okay if that’s how it’s been! Life seems to get in the way and our goals can fall by the wayside. Happens to the best of us.

However, this 30 day mental wellness challenge is designed to help you out with that! If you have the direction, intention, and priority to guide your mental health in the right direction, just think of what you can do!

There’s no doubt that your mental health will be in a better position 30 days from now compared to today if you are prioritizing mental wellness every. single. day.

Benefits of starting a wellness challenge include

Aside from the obvious overall improved wellness, a 30 day mental wellness challenge can also bring you:

Increased self-awareness – when you tune into your mental state, you’ll become more familiar with your emotions, behaviors, and thought patterns. This can help you identify unhealthy habits and determine where to improve.
Creating healthy habits – the more you practice a habit, the easier it becomes. There comes a point where it gets engrained into your lifestyle. By spending 30 days practicing healthy habits, you’ll surely pick up a few that you end up keeping!
Expanding your personal growth – you can learn A LOT about yourself when you’re showing up for your mental health everyday. You learn more about your coping habits, the way you interact with the world around you, and your outlook on life.
Building resilience – sticking to a 30 day challenge despite some of the initial resistance will teach you that you can, in fact, do the work. The more you practice picking yourself up when you fall off track, the stronger your discipline grows.
Diminishing the mental health stigma – when you tell your friends, family, and other people in your life that you’re doing something good for your mental health, you help to normalize it. Mental health should be as commonly discussed as physical health. You’re showing others that managing your anxiety is no more shameful than managing something like migraines.

Here’s the game plan to change your life and mental wellness in 30 days.

Mental Health Challenge Ideas

Day 1: Write down 2 goals for this challenge

You stumbled upon this 30 day mental wellness challenge for a reason. You likely have some aspect of your mental wellness you wish to improve. What do you hope to achieve by completing this challenge? Write down two goals that will guide your mindset and purpose throughout this challenge.

Pro tip: grab your FREE printable daily self care check-in below to monitor your mental health throughout this challenge! This will be super useful for when we reflect on the challenge at the end.

Day 2: Spend time alone and reflect

If you have a busy schedule or are a bit of a social butterfly, you might overlook the opportunity to spend time with yourself. But spending time alone is important because it gives you the chance to reflect on your thoughts and emotions that aren’t always apparent to you on the surface.

Sit down in a nice cozy spot, grab a journal or even simply observe what crosses your mind.

Day 3: Dabble in a hobby

Getting back in touch with a hobby, or even finding a new hobby, will bring so much joy to your day. I find that regularly incorporating hobbies into my life makes it feel less like my life is all work and no play, and it makes me happy!

It feels good to participate in activities that make you feel good, so try out a fun hobby today and let yourself detach from your typical routine! If you need ideas for finding a new hobby, you can check out my list of 100 fun hobby ideas.

{RELATED POST: How to Find Hobbies That Make You Happy: 100 Fun Ideas}

Day 4: Disconnect from tech for 3 hours

If you’re anything like me, you’re attached to your phone way more than you’d like to admit. It’s so easy to get stuck scrolling, but it never feels good when you realize how much time you waste doing it.

This study shows that after immediate “social media detoxification,” (that is, taking a break from social media) people reported a positive change in mood, reduced anxiety and improved sleep immediately after.

I know that taking an entire tech-free day can be challenging and even impractical, so just take 3 hours to step away from the technology. This could be first thing in the morning, in the middle of the day, or even at night.

Day 5: Fix something that’s been bugging you

Whether it’s that clutter in the corner of your room, that crooked picture frame, or notifications from that app you never use, just go take care of it!

By consistently putting off those pesky things that bug you, you’re just leaving them on your mind and piling more tasks on yourself to eventually get around to.

Going forward, a great way to approach the things that bug you is to apply the “one-minute rule:” if something takes less than a minute to get done, just do it right then and there. This is a great way to alleviate both mental and physical clutter!

But as for today, fix anything that bothers you the most even if it takes some time to get through. You’ll be glad you did!

Day 6: Meditate for 5 minutes

You and I both know that no matter how busy life gets, we can always find 5 minutes to spare. So take those 5 minutes and use them toward one of the most beneficial activities you could do for yourself: meditation.

This can look like simple breathing exercises, or if you’re a beginner and aren’t sure where to start, you can always try a guided meditation. And if you’ve never tried it before, you’ve got to try Headspace! I ALWAYS recommend Headspace because it’s so versatile and the perfect place for beginners to start. They have SO many different meditations from sleep, to relaxation, to focus, and more! Get your first 14 days free with my Headspace link and give yourself those valuable 5 minutes of meditation.

Day 7: Guided journal prompts for 15 minutes

There are so many useful journal prompts specifically for tapping into your mental health. You can even check out my 50 therapeutic journal prompts for depression to get some ideas!

Spend 15 minutes responding to a good journal prompt that allows you to reflect on the state of your mental health. You might discover something you didn’t even realize about yourself and your coping mechanisms.

If guided journal prompts are totally your thing, you’d love my printable Self Care Journal for Busy Women! It’s jam packed with 125 pages of journal prompts and exercises to help you build a self care plan that best suits your needs. If you struggle to fit self care into your busy life, this is perfect for you. Grab it below!

GET THE SELF CARE JOURNAL

Day 8: Brain dump for 15 minutes

Alternatively to guided journaling, it can also be useful to do a “brain dump” which is writing down all your thoughts as they come to mind. I always feel so much better after transferring my thoughts from my head onto paper. This really helps to organize and make sense of your thoughts.

Try it for 15 minutes and see what comes up!

Day 9: Digital detox – delete, unsubscribe

By taking a digital detox, my definition of it is different from unplugging from technology. Instead, I consider it to be deleting, unsubscribing, and just tidying up anything on your phone, computer, or social media accounts.

Unfollow negative people. Delete old screenshots from your photo gallery. Erase old files from your computer. Just hit the “refresh” button on your digital life!

Day 10: Positive affirmations throughout the day

Choose 1-3 positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself throughout the day. You can keep a common theme relevant to what you’re currently dealing with.

For example, if you’re struggling with confidence and self-doubt, you can use affirmations like “I am confident,” “I am capable,” and “I am deserving of good things.”

You can write them on a sticky note and pin it to your desktop computer, on your wall, on the fridge, or anywhere that will keep the reminder present!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE ANXIETY TRACKER HERE

Day 11: Schedule a friend date

Haven’t caught up with a certain friend in a while? Call them up or shoot them a text! Keeping a healthy social life is crucial for well-rounded mental health. We need the social interaction and connection that 1:1 friend meetups provide us.

And they probably look forward to hearing from you!

Day 12: Reflect on your struggles and strengths

It’s important to look at both sides of ourselves: our strengths and our struggles. Understanding your strengths will remind you what you have to be confident about. And recognizing your struggles will help guide you on where to improve.

Make a list of 5 strengths and 5 struggles you face. Then reflect on what you like about each strength and how you can lean into it. Also reflect on the steps you can take to overcome each of your struggles.

Day 13: Go to bed 30 minutes earlier

Nothing too crazy here, just 30 minutes! I know how impossible it feels to try and fall asleep at 8pm when your usual bedtime is midnight, so just shoot for a practical 30 minutes earlier. See how you do. And who knows, you might gradually be able to work up to an earlier and earlier bedtime!

Day 14: Do an endorphin boosting activity

Endorphins are responsible for reducing pain and boosting pleasure. They are released in response to pain and stress, but also during pleasurable activities like eating, sex, or exercise.

In my post on Happiness Brain Chemicals and How to Hack Them For Better Mental Health, I talk about the helpfulness of endorphin-boosting activities and the negative impacts of having too few endorphins flowing around in our systems.

Endorphin boosting activities include:

Exercise, especially cardio like running, dancing, etc.
Yoga
Meditation
Creating art
Laughing (so yes, something as simple as watching a funny YouTube video can do the trick and be your activity for the day!)

Day 15: Organize your closet

Going through the clothes in your closet and cutting back where you can is SO refreshing. I love how much tidier and less cramped my closet becomes when I clear out those “haven’t worn it since high school” clothes!

You can also arrange your long sleeve shirts together, short sleeve shirts together, winter clothes on one side, summer clothes on the other…or any pattern that makes sense for your brain. You’ll be able to pick outfits so much quicker!

Day 16: Ask for help when you could use it

I wanted to phrase this with the words “ask for help when you could use it” because when we think of “ask for help when you need it,” we might question if we really need it or not.

So be honest with yourself: if you could genuinely use the help, then practice asking for it! You’re deserving of help just as much as anyone else.

I know I can be hesitant when deciding if I should ask for help, sometimes because I don’t want to “burden” others. But hey, if you need it, you need it! So don’t hesitate to reach out. Think ahead to the coming week. If there’s any tasks or advice you could use help with, jot down a couple people that could offer you a helping hand.

Day 17: Avoid complaining for the day

Ooof, I know, easier said than done, right?

But making a conscious effort not to complain helps your frame of mind because you aren’t dwelling on the negative. Sometimes it can be good to vent, but if we get stuck in a complaining mindset, we fixate more on the negative than we should. So no complaining for today!

Day 18: Journal gratitudes for 10 minutes

Another great journal challenge is to journal about what you’re grateful for. You can format this like a list, or you can take a more “brain dump” approach and just write out a couple paragraphs about your gratitudes.

Feel free to include the details about why you feel grateful for these things and the benefit they bring to your life!

Day 19: Do a relaxing activity

When’s the last time you truly took the time to relax? I’m sure most of us could use relaxation a lot more often than we currently get it! Make today a relaxing one: choose at least one relaxing activity that will make you feel calm and zen.

If you need some inspiration, I have a whole post on 24 Unusual Self Care Ideas You Probably Haven’t Tried!

Day 20: Do something for yourself without guilt

Self care isn’t selfish! Do something nice for yourself without feeling guilty today. Have the time to take a good nap today? Do it! Wanna get your nails done? Do it! Take the evening off from chores? DO ITTT!

Give yourself the permission to rest and enjoy time to yourself. We all need this from time to time.

GRAB YOUR FREE ANXIETY TRACKER TO MONITOR YOUR PROGRESS HERE.

Day 21: Genuinely compliment yourself

And I don’t mean looking in the mirror to half-heartedly tell yourself you’re pretty. I mean truthfully and genuinely compliment yourself AND believe it!

You could spend some time thinking about what a kind person you are, how generous you are, how empathetic you are, how proud you are of the work you’ve put into your hair…anything! But say it like you mean it and make it worthwhile.

Day 22: Make a list of your accomplishments

If you ever get to feeling like you aren’t good at anything or haven’t done much with your life, you’re probably wrong. Sometimes it takes making a list of our accomplishments to really get us thinking about the success we’ve achieved.

So write down a list of your accomplishments and don’t undermine or dismiss a thing! High school honor roll counts. Keeping good grades in college while working part-time counts. Making improvements with your social anxiety counts.

An accomplishment can be society’s conventional idea of success or it can be something important to your character, like personal growth or mental health. Academic and professional accomplishments are not the only valid accomplishments. Remember that!

Day 23: Read about a topic you enjoy

This could be aaaanything that interests you. It could be science or true crime, or it can even be the timeline of Mary Kate and Ashley’s childhood careers or why social media influencers act the way they do.

It doesn’t exactly have to be productive or educational, so if you want to do a Google deep dive of something random, go for it! I find this practice useful for disconnecting from my typical productive routine.

Day 24: Do something that lets you turn your brain off

Even if today is a busy day for you, make sure to reserve at least some time (maybe an hour before bed) to do something that lets you truly turn your brain off and isn’t super stimulating.

You could read a fiction book, read up on the latest celebrity gossip, color a picture, or just lay back and rest your eyes!

Day 25: Practice saying no

Feeling comfortable saying no when your cup is empty is a valuable skill to practice. It’s the worst thing ever to feel obligated to say yes to everything that’s asked of you. You need to be able to set healthy boundaries and take a step back when necessary.

Think ahead to the upcoming week or month and consider some times when you might need to say no. Is there a non-mandatory event coming up during a busy time of the week? Practice how you might decline going. Does your mom keep asking you for too much? Prepare for how you’ll turn her down.

Never feel shame for setting necessary boundaries!

Pro tip: If you’re juggling a ton of tasks, struggling to keep your life organized, AND trying to stay on track with your goals…don’t try to manage your schedule by yourself!

You need to make sure you’re optimizing your time in the best way possible. But what even is “the best way possible”?

Well, you don’t need to waste time figuring that out when the Motion app can literally do it for you.

If you’re sick of feeling like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, Motion can fix that by:

Automated scheduling that plans your day for you – this app knows exactly how to schedule your daily tasks FOR YOU, in a way that’s most productive for you and your lifestyle.
Handling emergencies – Motion rearranges everything automatically so that urgent pop-up tasks don’t screw up your day…or your sanity!
Being a game-changer for ADHD – anyone with ADHD knows the agony of identifying what to prioritize. Motion takes the guesswork out of time management, so you know exactly what to do next!

Motion is the game-changer your schedule has been begging for, so why not give it a shot and lighten your load?

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Day 26: Do something outside your comfort zone

While setting boundaries is a must, it’s also helpful to go outside your comfort zone from time to time. This is a great way to practice self growth and build resilience with your mental health!

This can be as small as making it a point to say “hi!” when you pass by employees at the grocery store or texting an old friend (especially if you struggle with social anxiety). Or it can be as wild as crossing something off your bucket list, like zip lining!

Day 27: Open up about something on your mind

Sometimes we don’t even realize what thoughts and emotions are hiding under the surface until we provoke ourselves to vent about it.

I know that I’ve confided in a friend before about something that I thought was small, only to get deeper into the conversation and learn that that “small thing” bothered me more than I realized.

Or if you don’t want to vent to anyone directly, it can be useful to talk out loud on social media. You might even find people who relate to you and encourage others to talk about their challenges!

Day 28: Set yourself up for therapy

I’ll let you know firsthand that therapy is helpful wherever you’re at in your mental health journey. Whether you’re really struggling or have it mostly under control, getting a little extra help to cope with the daily stressors life throws at ALL of us is a must.

I’ve been in therapy during times where I had it really rough and during times where I was managing pretty well. In both scenarios, I found therapy immensely useful. Honestly, it’s for everyone! And it’s the single best thing you can do for your mental health.

I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit based on CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy–the leading standard in psychotherapy) at an affordable monthly cost.

So don’t put it off, take action on this today! You can get 20% off your first month of online therapy at my link right here.

Day 29: Reflect on the month

So you’re approaching the end of the 30 day mental wellness challenge. How has it gone?! Reflect/write down any improvements you’ve noticed in your emotions, thoughts, behaviors, energy, and overall frame of mind.

Which activities pushed you the hardest? Which activities felt the most useful? Take note!

Day 30: Choose 3 habits from this challenge to keep

After you reflected yesterday on how the challenge has gone, choose 3 of your favorite activities from this challenge to “keep” and turn into regular habits of yours.

When choosing 3 habits, consider which days made you feel your best. Consider which days pushed you toward self growth and furthered your insight about your mental health.

For myself, these are the activities from this 30 day mental wellness challenge that I do as regular habits:

Dabble in a hobby (see all the self care hobbies you can think of here!)
Meditation
Brain dumping in a journal
Scheduling friend dates
Journaling gratitudes
Opening up about something on my mind
Weekly therapy

Don’t feel obligated to choose this many, especially when first starting out! Just choose a few practical choices and be consistent. It’ll make all the difference!

Goals for the 30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge

When you complete this challenge, I want you to walk away with an impact on your life for the long-term. This is not something you try for 30 days only to never pick any of it back up again.

Look at this 30 day mental wellness challenge like an introduction to a new chapter in your mental health journey. This opens the door to what you can add to your routine to support your wellbeing.

The primary goals after you finish this challenge include:

Adding regular self care to your routine – this challenge is all about self care! Now you have plenty ideas for which self care activities you can incorporate into your daily, weekly, or monthly routine.
Educating yourself – prior to this challenge, maybe you were unaware of all that you can do to support your mental health. There’s a lot you can do on your own and this challenge shows you so. You get to be your #1 self-supporter now!
Shifting your mindset – mindset is everything when it comes to mental health. Learning how to challenge your negative beliefs and view things from a more rational or positive perspective can make your day-to-day life into far less of a battle.
Better regulation of your emotions and behaviors – when stress or other negative feelings strike, it can be so easy to freeze up and stay stuck in a loop of negative emotions and behaviors. This challenge encourages you to practice mindfulness and catch yourself when you slip into a bad head space. When you can catch yourself, you’ll be able to pull yourself out of it rather than sulking or panicking.

Improving your mental health is a huge priority!

If you decide to take on this 30 day mental wellness challenge, let me know how it goes by replying in the comments below! I absolutely believe that spending a full 30 days to focus on your mental health as a priority will make a huge difference in your wellbeing, self care habits, and mindset. I hope you make the progress you deserve to make. ❤

Best of luck in your mental wellness!